Method and system for detection and treatment of autism spectrum disorders and other disorders

ABSTRACT

A system and method of testing for and treating autism spectrum disorders and other disorders uses tasks of associating stimuli in one mode, such as images, with stimuli in another mode, such as sounds, thereby detecting or training for cross-modal perception.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/191,554, filed 2015 Jul. 13 by the present inventor, which is incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The bouba-kiki effect (also known as the takete-maluma effect) is a cross-modal perceptual phenomenon whereby most people associate jagged, “spiky” or “sharp” shapes with “jagged”-, “spiky”- or “sharp”-sounding utterances, and rounded, smooth shapes with “rounded”- or “smooth”-sounding utterances. “Jaggedness”/“smoothness” of utterances is associated with the presence of stops/continuants, voicelessness/voice of phones, and other phonological elements. The effect is seen in nonautistic persons of a wide range of ages (including babies a few months old), reading skill levels (including non-literacy), and language backgrounds. Individuals with any of a range of autism spectrum disorders, however, are much less likely than others to exhibit this phenomenon. Individuals with dyslexia exhibit the phenomenon more weakly than others.

The present invention leverages this phenomenon in novel ways.

Prior Art—Patents

There are no prior patents that appear relevant.

Prior Art—Nonpatent Literature Documents

-   D'Onofrio, A. (2012). Refining bouba-kiki: Phonetic detail and     object dimensionality in sound-shape correspondences. J. Acoust.     Soc. Am., 132(3), 1968. -   Maurer, D., Pathman, T., & Mondloch, C. (2006). The shape of boubas:     sound-shape correspondences in toddlers and adults. Developmental     Science, 9(3), 316-322. -   Nielsen, A., & Rendall, D. (2011). The sound of round: Evaluating     the sound-symbolic role of consonants in the classic Takete-Maluma     phenomenon. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology/Revue     Canadienne de Psychologie Expérimentale, 65(2), 115-124. -   Oberman, L., & Ramachandran, V. (2008). Preliminary evidence for     deficits in multisensory integration in autism spectrum disorders:     The mirror neuron hypothesis. Social Neuroscience, 3(3-4), 348-355. -   Occelli, V., Esposito, G., Venuti, P., Arduino, G., & Zampini, M.     (2013). The takete-maluma phenomenon in autism spectrum disorders.     Perception, 42, 233-241.

The literature does not propose the use of the phenomenon to detect, screen for, nor diagnose any condition; it does note the differential appearance of the phenomenon in people with certain disabilities and notes regularities in cross-modal associations where they do appear. These regularities suggest various means for classifying certain stimuli as kiki or bouba.

The present invention, in one or more of its embodiments, is a novel method and system for testing to detect, diagnose, and reduce effects of autism spectrum disorders and other disorders.

Advantages

The advantages of one or more embodiments include, without limitation, that the system minimizes the communicative, motor, and social skills required of the subject to participate in the test or training; that it minimizes the skills and training required of a test administrator; that it minimizes the equipment required for administration of the test; and that it minimizes the time spent testing. One or more aspects allow for heretofore-impracticable screening of larger numbers of subjects, such as whole kindergarten classes. The present invention produces objective data which can be used in diagnosing autism, where today, subjective data is often used. Certain embodiments can be used with subjects of a wide range of ages, reading abilities, language backgrounds, and cultural backgrounds. One or more aspects can produce data for diagnosing dyslexia and other disabilities. In addition to increasing ease and objectivity, one or more aspects also feature the potential to dramatically reduce costs for these kinds of services. Some embodiments of the present invention are quick, procedurally and technologically simple tests to detect autism and other disorders.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—FIRST EMBODIMENT

In some embodiments the subject is asked to make associations between images and pseudowords to determine the extent to which the subject exhibits the bouba-kiki effect.

Certain embodiments of the present invention use drawings of characters on physical cards of paper or other material as the image prompts. In some embodiments, these characters are imaginary animals.

The images are previously categorized as rounded/smooth (“bouba-like”) or as jagged/“spiky”/“sharp” (“kiki-like”), either in experiment with nonautistic, nondyslexic subjects, and/or based on the scientific literature on perception and on the bouba-kiki effect. In some embodiments, the other set of stimuli are sound prompts in the form of invented names. The names are pseudo-words (pronounceable combinations of syllables that have no meaning in the subject's language(s)). The names are composed of syllables previously categorized as “jagged”/“spiky”/“sharp” (“kiki-like”) or as “rounded”/“smooth” (“bouba-like”), either in experiment by non-autistic, non-dyslexic subjects, and/or based on the scientific literature on phonology and on the bouba-kilci effect

In such embodiments, the upper limit on the number of names is determined by the number of predeterrninedly kiki and bouha syllables, and the chosen syllable limit (how long we decide the names should be). The number of images required is therefore, in such embodiments, a function of the number of names as well as the number of responses needed to interpret the test. Syllable combinations that have meaning in language(s) to which the subject has been exposed should then eliminated from the list.

Operation—First Embodiment

In some embodiments, during the test, the subject is asked to choose a name for a given image, or to choose an image for a given name, from options given by a test administrator. The subject is asked to make several image/name pairings; the exact number of questions may vary according to the type of subject. In some embodiments, this takes the form of the test administrator asking the subject what the character on the card should be called, and giving two options, a kiki-type name and a houba-type name.

In some embodiments, names are written for the test administrator so as to likely be read in a way that fits the appropriate kiki or bouba category despite variations in pronunciation. In some embodiments, International Phonetic Alphabet spellings of the names are also provided to test administrators.

In some embodiments, an experimentally tested, specific protocol for eliciting responses is given to test administrators.

Responses can be given by the subject verbally, gesturally, or by other means depending on the needs of the subject and on the protocol used.

In some embodiments, the degree to which the subject's responses exhibit the bouba-kiki effect (the degree of match with expected, neurotypical, bouba-kiki style responses) is determined. In some embodiments, this measure is used to determine the probability that the subject has an autism spectrum disorder, based on information derived from results of previous tests of subjects whose autistic status had been otherwise established.

Additional Embodiments—Description

There are various possibilities with regard to materials and perceptual modes used. Some embodiments use abstract designs on cards. Some embodiments use software to present the prompts. Images can be displayed on a screen, or projected onto a screen or wall.

In various embodiments, pseudoword prompts may be given to the subject as recorded audio played on a computer or audio device, or in writing, in spelled sign language, etc., as needed. To standardize pronunciation, audio of the preferred pronunciation of name prompts can be made available to test administrators in another medium. Sounds other than speech can be used in some embodiments, for example, music.

Some embodiments can use an object such as a card with a raised design, or a three-dimensional object, possibly made with a three-dimensional printer based on a provided template. These embodiments can be used with visually impaired subjects and others. In some embodiments, stimuli can be presented, and/or responses recorded, by software embodied in a computer instead of by a human test administrator.

Additional Embodiments—Operation

Variations on protocol are possible for the test, such as varying the number of options, or the mode of the stimuli.

Variations on the information to be derived are also possible, given established data on cross-modal perceptual phenomena. For example, calibrating tests can be done to find atypical:typical response ratios suggestive of dyslexia. Such information may become available for other disabilities, especially reading difficulties, in future.

Other embodiments employ other perceptual modes.

Some embodiments of the system can also be used to train a person on cross-modal associations. The sets of stimuli described above are paired in these embodiments such that “matching” stimuli are displayed together (that is, stimuli of different modes predetermined to belong to certain categories of stimuli that tend to be perceived as cross-modally associated in nonautistic and nondyslexic humans are displayed together). In some embodiments, recorded video and audio are stored on media to be played in a projector, such as those used to project images on the ceiling above a baby's bed. Said recording displays “matched” stimuli together, such as animations of bouba images with a bouba soundtrack alternating with kiki animations with kiki soundtrack. In other embodiments, the same materials prepared for testing can be used for training. For example, the card set and name list described in the first embodiment can be used in this manner; thus the same physical device can leverage the same psycholinguistic phenomena to a different end in this method.

CONCLUSIONS, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE

The reader will thus see that some embodiments of the system provide a novel way to test for autism spectrum disorders and other disorders, some embodiments provide a novel way to train people with autism and other disorders on cross-modal perceptions, and some embodiments provide both.

For ramifications, please see Additional Embodiments, above.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill in the field (such as cognitive psychologists and educational diagnosticians with knowledge of linguistics) to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method and system of using at least two sets of stimuli of different modes predetermined to belong to certain categories of stimuli that tend to be perceived cross-modally in nonautistic, nondyslexic humans to detect and/or to estimate the severity of autism spectrum disorders, dyslexia, and/or other conditions, comprising, a. any of several possible means of displaying items from the sets of stimuli to a subject; b. a set of prompts urging the subject to associate items from one set with items from another set of stimuli; c. a means of tallying typical and atypical responses; and d. a means of generating a measure of typicality of the subject.
 2. The method and system in claim 1 wherein the stimuli are classified as kiki or bouba.
 3. The method and system in claim 1 wherein one set of stimuli are a set of shapes, figurative or nonfigurative.
 4. The method and system in claim 3 wherein said shapes are displayed as pictures on cards of paper or other material.
 5. The method and system in claim 3 wherein the shapes are embodied as three-dimensional objects for the subject to see or touch.
 6. The method and system in claim 3 wherein the shapes are images displayed on a screen or by a projector, including embodiments using a computer.
 7. The method and system in claim 1 wherein one set of stimuli is a set of pseudowords.
 8. The method and system in claim 7 wherein the pseudowords are heard or read by the person administering the test and then pronounced for the subject.
 9. The method and system in claim 7 wherein the pseudowords are stored audio played by a computer or electronic audio device.
 10. A method and system of using at least two sets of stimuli of different modes predetermined to belong to certain categories of stimuli that tend to be perceived cross-modally in nonautistic and nondyslexic humans to train persons on cross-modal associations, comprising a. said sets of stimuli and b. any of several possible means of displaying items from the sets of stimuli to the trainee simultaneously, such that the items displayed together belong to categories that tend to be associated cross-modally in nonautistic, nondyslexic humans.
 11. The method and system in claim 10 wherein the stimuli are classified as kiki or bouba.
 12. The method and system in claim 10 wherein one set of stimuli are a set of shapes, figurative or nonfigurative.
 13. The method and system in claim 12 wherein said shapes are displayed as pictures on cards of paper or other material.
 14. The method and system in claim 12 wherein said shapes are images displayed on a screen or by a projector, including by a computer.
 15. The method and system in claim 10 wherein one set of stimuli are pseudowords heard or read by a person helping with the training and then pronounced for the trainee.
 16. The method and system in claim 10 wherein one set of stimuli are sounds played by a computer or electronic audio device.
 17. The method and system in claim 1 wherein a. the stimuli are classified as kiki or bouba; b. one set of stimuli are shapes displayed as pictures on cards of paper or other material; c. another set of stimuli are pseudowords silently read by the person administering the test and then pronounced for the subject; d. the prompts are requests for the subject to choose a name for the object or character on the card, with one kiki option and one bouba option given; e. the person administering the test sets aside the cards such that he or she can count typical and atypical responses after the test; f. typicality of the subject is determined by comparing the subject's ratio of atypical to typical responses to some average of ratios for nonautistic, nondyslexic subjects.
 18. The method and system in claim 17 wherein the pictures on the cards are of imaginary animals. 